Breaking Barriers: Women Take the Lead in India’s Prestigious Science Projects

New Delhi: In a significant stride towards gender inclusivity in the field of Science, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that women are assuming leadership roles in prestigious science projects such as the Aditya L1 mission and Chandrayaan-3. Responding to a Starred Question in the Lok Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that cutting-edge space research initiatives now feature women scientists in key positions, including Project Directors for major missions.

The Minister emphasized that women’s representation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) streams at the higher education level stands at 43%, indicating a positive trend. This growing enrolment is expected to translate into increased professional roles for women scientists in the next few years.

Dr Jitendra Singh reassured the House that there is no gender bias in promotions and expressed confidence that overall representation of women in Science and Technology (S&T) jobs will improve. He highlighted the evolving role of women in the Science fraternity, emphasizing the transition from participatory roles to leadership positions.

The Minister shared insights into the Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN) scheme, initiated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and extended under PM Modi’s leadership in 2014. The scheme, with a budget that has tripled since 2014-15, aims to enhance the role of women in various sectors. Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the WISE-KIRAN scheme has benefited 2,153 women scientists in the last five years.

Under the WISE-KIRAN scheme, the Women Scientist Scheme (WOS) facilitates opportunities for unemployed women scientists, particularly those with career breaks, to pursue research in frontier areas of Science and Engineering. The scheme includes components like Women Scientists Scheme-A (WOS-A), Women Scientists Scheme-B (WOS-B), and Women Scientists Scheme-C (WOS-C) to support research and encourage Intellectual Property Rights professionals.

New initiatives introduced in 2023-24 include the WISE Fellowship for Ph.D. (WISE-PhD), WISE Post-Doctoral Fellowship (WISE-PDF), WISE-SCOPE addressing societal challenges, WIDUSHI supporting senior women scientists, and WISE Internship in Intellectual Property Rights (WISE-IPR). These programs aim to foster gender parity across STEM fields, ensuring a diverse and inclusive landscape in India’s scientific endeavors.